Church Stretton, Shropshire travel guide and Church Stretton information

Visit Church Stretton

Church Stretton is a traditional market town centrally placed to explore the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Shropshire (to the western side of central England).

Church Stretton is perhaps best known for two things; the large number of antique shops available (and the antiques market in Sandford Avenue); and its long history as a spa town, which reached its heyday in the Victorian era (at that time it became known by visitors as 'little Switzerland').

The town is very popular with visitors to the region and is very pleasant to explore, with some attractive houses dating from the 16th to 19th centuries to admire, some of them half-timbered. There are few buildings from before 1593 when much of Church Stretton was destroyed by a fire although the Church of saint Lawrence dates from Norman times.

No visit to an English country town would be complete without a visit to a pub and church stretton has a good selection to choose from, as well as cafes, restaurants and all other 'normal' facilities.

The markets are held in the centre of Church Stretton in Market Square each Thursday and Saturday mornings, as they have been since the Middle Ages.

Be sure to also visit the small villages of All Stretton and Little Stretton, each of them quiet traditional English villages with its own particular appeal, close to Church Stretton.

The region around Church Stretton is very attractive to explore - the Caer Caradoc hill is a good starting point for an exploration.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Shropshire Hills guide and the